Can Neurofeedback Therapy Help End Addiction Cycles?

Neurofeedback therapy is used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, migraines, and other brain-related disorders. Recently, researchers have been studying the effects of this therapy for addiction recovery. Before addressing if the therapy can help end addiction cycles, we must understand what neurofeedback is and how to use it.

What is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy is a process of attaching devices to someone to measure certain functions of the body. Doctors can check blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension through these devices. This is called biofeedbackand is used to prescribed therapies to strengthen the body and its organs.

A subset of biofeedback focuses on the brain. A technician will connect an electroencephalography machine (EEG) to a person’s scalp. This machine will read the brain’s activity. Sometimes a person is required to sleep with the machine reading the brain patterns to detect sleep disturbance. The information shown by the machine shows where one may not be adjusting to stress appropriately.

Once patterns of maladjustment are seen, therapies can help that person adjust properly.

How Neurofeedback Therapy Helps End Addiction Cycles

Addiction is caused by a defect in the way the brain responds to stress. Neurofeedback therapies help retrain the brain to respond to stress in healthy, non-addictive ways. Some treatments help the person become calmer, reduce the effects of painful memories, and resist cravings for drugs and alcohol. These therapies can also help manage feelings of guilt, shame, and frustration. This is important because those feelings often overwhelm those in recovery and can lead to relapse.

The success of these therapies is gaining traction in addiction recovery centers. We at Aion Recovery in Southern Florida, have been using these therapies with great success for many years.

Neurofeedback Therapy Offered at Aion Recovery in Southern Florida

Once the areas of maladjustment are identified, therapists at Aion Recovery use several methods to retrain the brain to manage stress properly.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): This therapy helps one understand what events caused emotional damage. It also gives new coping skills to reduce the burden of the memories of traumatic events.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): This therapy uses side-to-side eye movements to reprogram how one reacts to unresolved trauma.

These therapies help the brain become calm and release emotional charges that cause relapse. Often these therapies need no medication and work quickly to rewire the brain and allow the person to rest. Something many people struggling with addiction have not done for years. This is a solid basis to build recovery.

Why Is Neurofeedback Therapy Preferred in Addiction Recovery?

Neurofeedback therapy restores peace and calm to the person suffering with addiction. It is non-invasive, requires no medication, and has no side effects. It quickly restores focus, regulates impulsive behaviors, and improves moods. Many people report finally sleeping after many years of restless, nightmare-filled nights.